Mode 'S' mandatory for gliders.

[rocketmandlgc]

Mode S - A different argument

All, Most of the posts on this topic have been on broadly similar themes. Well here is a different one for everyone's consideration. It actually formed part of my response to the consultation. If anyone wants to come back to me I'm more than happy to engage in the debate, although I only get online every couple of days, so don't expect immediate rfeplies.

Here goes:

My response to the consultation is that – whilst I have some sympathy for, and am in broad agreement in principal for Mode S for everyone, some parts of the aviation community – and gliding in particular - should remain exempt from any phase 2 recommendations, and that these exempt categories be made the subject of a phase 3 implementation.

Here are my reasons:

Economic:

Gliding in particular has been a “first introduction” to aviation for many of our current commercial pilots and the number of commercial pilots required in the future will increase if the government’s white paper on the future of aviation is to be implemented..

Gliding (as opposed to hang or para gliding) will – I believe - continue to be of economic benefit to commercial aviation by providing recruitable material , trained to a very high standard of basic flying skills and aerodynamic knowledge, providing that the gliding community remains as a low cost entry point for potential pilots some of whom would not normally be considered as suitable material for other forms of entry into aviation (RAF for example).

Many gliding clubs are non or low profit making, some turning in annual profits of as little as £10,000. My own club xxxx operates a fleet of 3 x 2-seater training aircraft and 3 single seaters for early solo pilots. To equip these at current prices with currently available equipment would cost (CAA figures) between £18K – 30K – or put another way, 3 years of profit, a 3 year postponement of facilities improvements, building renovation and fleet expansion.

Given that our current letters of agreement with xxxxx work extremely well and there have been no recorded incidents EVER – this seems a very high price to pay for something of (immediate) dubious benefit.
Social

In my last section I stated “…..as a low cost entry point for potential pilots some of whom would not normally be considered as suitable material for other forms of entry into aviation (RAF for example).”

My club (and most other clubs i suspect) is proud to boast amongst its membership, a Postman and a High Court Judge. The effects of your current proposals would be to turn my club into a club of high court judges. The Postman would not be able to afford to continue flying – or at least would have his cross country ambitions curtailed so much that the sport would inevitably lose it’s attraction.

I myself was brought up in an inner city area and, like many concerned citizens, I despair at the lack of facilities available to many young people in our society today. The speed at which we appear to be sinking into an abyss of alcoholism and violence is frightening. A former Archbishop, William Temple once said “What is considered to be exceptional behaviour in one generation has a habit of becoming the “norm” in the next”

It is therefore imperative that minority sports such as Gliding – a sport which encourages the best in both team discipline AND individual endeavour, not only be allowed to continue but encouraged to flourish and grow. This encouragement may be in the form of grants for innovative marketing to the youth culture, and (this is where the CAA might come in) funding of new technology implementations to enable gliding to co-exist with other air traffic with no or little impact on the cost of gliding to the majority of its participants.

One way that can be achieved would be for the Civil Aviation Authority to use it’s influence over government to persuade government to fully fund the research and development of a low power pressure altitude transponder of a suitable size for use in gliders.

By funding the R&D costs, this would enable equipment manufacturers to sell at a reasonable price without having to worry about clawing back the R&D element in what is after all a small limited market. Target price excluding installation would be < £1000 (£995 will do)

Another way would be additionally for the commercial sector to fund the equipping of all club registered 2-seater training aircraft and some single seaters where it could be demonstrated that such single seaters were used for early cross country training.

Conclusion

1) There is time – time to pause, time for a phase three

AS I have stated, OUR Letters of agreement with xxxxx are working well. I suspect other clubs will tell you the same, as I also suspect your own incident stats will tell you. There is no need to rush. Despite increases in commercial traffic since 2003, incident reports are down.

2) As the governing body, the CIVIL Aviation Authority should use its powers to encourage Government to protect Gliding, for the economic and social reasons stated above, by the funding and provision of Mode s equipment for the sport., so that the sport can co-exist with the planned increase in air traffic to 2025

Let’s all pause for reflection, so we can get it right for everyone.

Sincerely,